World Wide What? : Introduction to Web Basics World Wide What? Prepared by Kit Keller Director of Library Services & Student Achievement ©2010
Online is online is online…Common myths about the Web : Online is online is online…Common myths about the Web All online information is created equal
All necessary information is online
Search engines can find everything
Copyright is dead
Myth #1…all information is created equal : Myth #1…all information is created equal There are no standards for information posted to the Web.
There ARE standards attached to certain URLs.
Some Web sites are more authoritative than others.
There are sites that deliberately present mis-information.
Myth #2…it’s all on the Web : Myth #2…it’s all on the Web More people turn to the Internet than any other source of information and support, including experts and family members.*
As of 2010, “Two-thirds of American adults (66%) … have a broadband internet connection at home....”**
“The commercial use of the internet by American adults has grown since the mid-2000s, with 58% of Americans now reporting that they perform online research concerning the products and services that they are considering purchasing.”***
…but that’s NOT all there is to know! : …but that’s NOT all there is to know! Other information sources include…
Local libraries – public, academic & special
Subscription databases – Chancellor’s library databases, your own state library
Print materials – reference books, non-fiction books
Fee-based information sources – online sources offering information for sale
Myth #3: Search engines can find everything : Myth #3: Search engines can find everything Search engines only work as well as the operator
Some material is ‘locked’ behind passwords
Search engines generally do not search deep into a Web site
Searching the Web is different from searching catalogs and databases
Myth #4: Copyright is dead : Myth #4: Copyright is dead Ease of copying does not mean copyright is dead.
Copyright laws are in full force and effect.
It’s easier to find plagiarized material because of the Web.
Technology is moving faster than the laws, but the laws are still in effect.
A little history… : A little history… “The Internet began as a university research project in 1969 and was funded by ARPA—a U.S. military research organization. For the next 20 years the Internet and its predecessor, the ARPANET, existed mostly in obscurity. It was primarily a network for government and academic researchers during this timeframe. The defining event of the Internet happened in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web. A year later the web became a reality when the first primitive web browser was implemented.”
Where do you start? With the basics… : Where do you start? With the basics… Analyze the URL
URL (Uniform Resource Locator – that’s all you need to know!)
Example: This is the URL (Web address) for Chancellor University
http://www.chancelloru.edu
The blue section (http) describes the language of the Web (hyper text transfer protocol)
The green section (www) stands for World Wide Web
The purple section (chancelloru) identifies the organization
The red section (edu – also called the domain) identifies the organization as an educational institution.
What does the domain tell you? : What does the domain tell you? A site’s domain offers some clues about that site. The basic domains include:
.com = commercial
.org = organization
.edu = education
.gov = government
.mil = military
Consider the source… : Consider the source… Who is responsible for the information on a site? How do you know?
Look for a copyright statement at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you see on the Chancellor University page:
© Copyright 2008 Chancellor University
Here’s what you see at the bottom of EarnMyDegree.com
Advertise with Us
….hmmm
What might that tell you about the site?
How can you find the good stuff? : How can you find the good stuff? Search specific domains: Limit your search to just .edu or .org sites
This will eliminate commercial (.com) sites in your results.
Evaluate the content: Is it up-to-date? Is the information research-based?
Outdated information indicates the site is not well maintained. You should be skeptical about unsubstantiated information.
Now what? : Now what? This has been an overview about the Web. Check out the tutorial about how to improve your searching skills in order to get the best results. Questions?
Contact Kit Keller
kkeller@ChancellorU.edu